The dryness of Jacques Monclar on Zaccharie Risacher: “It is not his fault! »»

By Pierre-Andréa Fraile | Sports journalist

Attentive observer of the NBA and the performances carried out there, Jacques Monclar keeps an eye above all on the French who evolve there. He also took advantage of the recent Zaccharie Risacher cardboard to set the record straight about him.

From a collective point of view, mass is already said. The Hawks already know that they will travel to Orlando next Tuesday, as part of the Play-In Tournament. Insured to finish 8th in the east, they can therefore focus on individual battles in which several of their players are currently involved. And in particular Zaccharie Risacher, in the fight to become a rookie of the year.

Jacques Monclar restores the truth about Zaccharie Risacher

Despite the tough competition offered by Stephon Castle, Risacher can hope to be rewarded in a few weeks for his first season in the NBA. And even more following The record performance he delivered on the side of BrooklynTHURSDAY. On the set of NBA ExtraJacques Monclar reacted there by sending a scathing message to longtime detractors of the young French winger:

Jacques Monclar: Who needed to be reassured about Zaccharie? Those who criticized its draft n ° 1 status? These, I will have to explain to me what they know in basketball. These are people who believe that all the first Draft choices are like LeBron James or Victor Wembanyama.

In spite of himself, Zacch therefore suffers from unjust comparisons with his predecessors.

This is in any case what Monclar regrets, who is responsible for boasting his merits:

Jacques Monclar: Zaccharie will end the season with 12/13 points on average in a team that will play the play-in. He can defend, he can counterattack, he can put dunks, make alley-oops, he plays a lot without the ball … He does a lot of things! And then physically, the progress it makes is absolutely amazing. (…)

People waiting for him were wrong! Zaccharie has the season we could expect from him, that's all. It is not his fault if it is n ° 1 of draft! I think he will finish second in the race for the Rookie Trophy of the year, so where is the problem? It's just that it is the n ° 1 behind Victor but that of the two that is abnormal, it is not Zaccharie, it's Victor!

Dithyrambic about his young compatriot, the former coach also welcomes the work of the Hawks front office, which has benefited him in recent weeks:

Jacques Monclar: This is a general manager for once that made the right move. By leaving for'Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanovic, the Hawks empowered Zaccharie, Dyson Daniels and Vit Krejci.

While Zaccharie Risacher remains in the race to win the Rookie Trophy of the year, Jacques Monclar does not hesitate to congratulate him already for his first season in the NBA. A season worthy of a 1st draft choice, no offense to his haters.